Soprano
Johanna Rusanen was born into a family of musicians in Kuopio, Finland. Having received her Masters degree in Music at the
Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, soprano Johanna Rusanen continued and completed her studies in Berlin and Vienna.
Johanna was a member of the young artist program at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, for two years. Her opera career includes
productions at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Finnish National Opera, Deutsche Oper, and the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow, Teatro
Municipal of Sao Paulo, Teatro Regio in Turin and Tampere Opera plus extensive touring with the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
Her major roles include Tatjana in Eugen Onegin, Marie in Wozzeck, Amelia in Un Ballo di Maschera, Mimì in La Bohème, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Faust’s Margarethe. Johanna Rusanen is acclaimed for her portrayal of strong women in
Finnish operas such as; Riitta in Kokkonen’s Last Temptations in Nivala (2009), Anna in Sallinen’s Ratsumies (2005-2006) and Aalo in the Wolf’s Bride by Pylkkänen in Helsinki (2006). In recent years, Johanna has performed as Turandot (Helsinki/ Turin), Tosca
(Savonlinna) and Ortrud (Sao Paulo). Her first Isolde will take place in 2016 in Helsinki. Johanna has performed as an oratorio soloist and has given lieder recitals in numerous European countries as well as in Japan, Chile, the United States and North Korea. The
soprano part of the Kullervo Symphony by Jean Sibelius has become one of her trademark pieces. She recently performed in Kullervo in the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago alongside with her baritone brother Ville Rusanen and at the BBC Proms with the BBC
Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sakari Oramo.
photo Heikki Tuuli